Almanac: At the Capitol

The love was everywhere. The love was bi-partisan. The love was coming from the governor to lawmakers, even DFL lawmakers. House Tax Chair Ann Lenczewski got an enormous amount of praise for helping making the whole end of session deal happen. Bonding Chairs Langseth and Hausman got humorous props too.
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It wasn't always pretty, but this group of leaders proved they can lead. It may have been a deal cut behind closed doors, but they all walk away winning. The public and the press had a hard time getting access and information along the way, but this session will have delivered on all the biggest issues: education, healthcare, property taxes, transportation and the environment. That's quite a list for what's supposed to be a short bonding session. Gov. Pawlenty said “this process yielded common results.”
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Heading into Saturday night lawmakers and the governor are still trying to craft an end-of-session deal. Minority Leader Dave Senjem says they're "closing in, in the details stage." He hopes to have a deal in time for the 10pm news. Majority Leader Pogemiller said they're in a "wait and see mode" and sometime today they'll "process a bonding bill" which probably will just include Central Corridor unless a larger deal is reached with the governor. It seems doubtful now that lawmakers will be able to finish their work today.
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Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher wants a budget deal for the state's 150th birthday present on Sunday. It's a great PR angle, but depending whom you believe a deal is close or completely out of reach. Democrats all say it's "doable" if the governor wants a deal, but Republican Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjem said negotiations are "on life support with funeral arrangements pending." Sen. Geoff Michel said he fears they're living in a world where there aren't global deals anymore. Last year there was no global deal on all the end of session issues for the first time in memory.
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Sen. Steve Murphy says the governor's staff told him he had to pick 2 out of 3 provisions in transportation bill, so Murphy says he has to drop booster seat language to preserve a primary seatbelt offense and graduated driver’s licenses for teens.
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Apparently there's a day off of school for lots of kids and they're finding their way to the Capitol, especially lawmakers' children. We hear many of them are working as pages today running errands on the floor. Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher showed a classic working mom multi-tasking moment when leading House business and her daughter walks up to the front of the chamber and asks mom for something. Kelliher reaches into the historic desk below the classic oil painting of Abraham Lincoln and pulls out a piece of gum, Trident sugarless I'm officially told. Both the speaker's kids are here today.
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Yes, that's Rep. Tom Rukavina jumping on the lap of DNR Commissioner Mark Holsten. They were on Almanac: At the Capitol this week to debate a new state park on Lake Vermilion. And debate they did--finally! Frankly those of us who host, book, produce and watch local TV shows about politics have been a bit frustrated that politicians have decided to act too nice.
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